On October 25, an enthusiastic crowd gathered at the bar Sidetrack in Chicago to address how we can support LGBTQ Rights in Israel. The evening began with socializing, drinks, and nosh – followed by a panel discussion.

The discussion featured A Wider Bridge Staff Laurel Grauer who generated worldwide attention on the intersection of LGBTQ rights and Jewish rights within progressive communities, Jordan Schwartz who leads A Wider Bridge’s development operations around the country, and Ronit Bezalel who is a writer, documentary filmmaker and recently returned from three months in Jerusalem.

The panel was moderated by the Honorable James A. Shapiro, a long time advocate for LGBTQ Rights, Jamie has practiced law for over 32 years and is a current board member of IL’s ADL – Anti-Defamation League.  James introduced the participants and then read audience questions.

Ronit fielded the first question about LGBTQ life in Jerusalem. She noted that there was more openness towards the LGBTQ community than in the past. The Jerusalem Open House has been steadily fighting for LGBTQ rights and there is more queer visibility, especially during pride.  Attendance at Jerusalem pride has skyrocketed since the 2015 march, when 16-year old Shira Banki was murdered at the march. Many of the people attending the march are allies, especially people from differing religious communities. There are still battles to be fought in a conservative city like Jerusalem, but there has also been progress.

Jordan answered a question about Israel’s track record of LGBTQ rights in comparison to the rest of the region. He noted that yes, Israel does have a better track record, but the bar is quite low when surrounding countries still criminalize homosexuality and see it as a disease. Jordan said that we should work on raising the bar for LGBTQ rights. Jordan also was asked about same-sex marriage in Israel and remarked on a poll that came out this summer which indicated the majority of Israelis favored the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Laurel highlighted similar challenges that face the LGBTQ communities of the United States and Israel, and noted opportunities where both could learn from, and support one another. She then gave a careful explanation of the history of pinkwashing, and illustrated how this contentious narrative denies people the opportunity to understand and support Israel’s LGBTQ community. She talked passionately about her experiences at Creating Change in 2016, and being asked to leave the Chicago Dyke March this summer and told that she couldn’t display her Jewish pride flag, a flag she’d marched with previously for ten years.

Though it was clear there were people from multiple perspectives in the room, audience members were quite moved by the event and applauded the work of A Wider Bridge.

During A Wider Brunch 2017, Rabbi Lisa Edwards from Beth Chayim Chadashim in Los Angeles gave an incredible D’var Torah in Arthur’s honor.

Arthur Slepian and Rabbi Edwards at A Wider Brunch 2017

For Arthur Slepian
On the occasion of retiring as Executive Director of A Wider Bridge
At A Wider Brunch
October 22, 2017
From Rabbi Lisa Edwards
Beth Chayim Chadashim

Since i first heard it seven or eight years ago, I’ve appreciated the name Arthur Slepian gave to this organization, A Wider Bridge, playing on the famous phrase attributed to Rav Nachman of Bratslav: “All the world is a very narrow bridge, gesher tsar meod, and the important thing is not to be afraid.”

Yes of course, i thought, if it’s the narrowness that makes us afraid, let’s widen the bridge —not only is it less scary if there’s room to pass when you come face to face with someone going the other way, but let’s make it possible for us to walk across not single file but side by side, arm in arm, maybe even like at the octopus convention: arm in arm in arm in arm in arm in arm…you get the idea.

But I’ve also sometimes wondered what Rav Nachman could have meant really, by “do not be afraid.” Ever? Of anything? That’s hardly human.

So i was relieved to discover recently that I’m not the only one who questioned this, and one of my colleagues [Rabbi Daniel Pressman] reports that what Rav Nachman actually wrote was: “When a person must cross an exceedingly narrow bridge, the general principle and the essential thing is not to frighten yourself at all.” shelo yit-paheid k’lal.

[k’she-adam tzarikh la-avor gesher tzar m·od, ha-k’lal v’ha-ikkar shelo yit-paheid k’lal. As the official Breslov translation puts it in its translation of Likutei Moharan (II:48)]

Although it was a frightening event — the shooting at the queer youth center in Tel Aviv in 2009 — that prompted Arthur Slepian to create A Wider Bridge, it was not the event itself, but the people he met when he traveled to Israel shortly thereafter, the people who, like him, refused to frighten themselves out of getting involved, that inspired Arthur to devote the past eight years to an organization dedicated to growing equality in and for Israel.

In the Torah portion Jews begin reading this week, Lech-lecha, God calls Avram aka Abraham avinu, the father of the Jewish people, to “Go forth from your native land … to the land that I will show you.” The commentators famously note that the phrasing God uses – Lech-lecha — means not simply “Go forth,” but “go for your own sake.” [Genesis 12:1] Of course what turned out to be for Abraham’s sake also turned out to be for the sake of generations of a people not yet formed when God gave Abraham that first instruction.

The same might be said of Arthur Slepian — that his idea to create an organization that sought to build/widen the bridge between queer communities in the U.S. and Israel was for Arthur’s “sake” – giving him something to do after his early career retirement, plus allowing him ample opportunity to travel back and forth between the United States and Israel, the places in the world that meant the most to him. But as with Abraham’s journey, the Wider Bridge Arthur created turned out to be for the sake of many, many people — in the moment and in generations still to come.

And none of us, least of all Arthur, could have foreseen that founding and nurturing A Wider Bridge would also bring about a continuation of the second request God made to Abraham way back when. God sent Abraham on his way like a parent might send a kid off to school in the morning. God said:

וֶהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה׃
Veh-h’yeh b’rakha. BE a blessing. [Genesis 12:2]

Arthur, you and A Wider Bridge have done just that — for your own sake and for ours you refused to frighten yourself out of stepping up to a journey whose destination you did not know, to create an organization whose capacity and influence you could not have imagined — and in the process you have made A Wider Bridge and yourself into many blessings — felt by all of us who have been touched in these past seven years by your vision and your steadfast efforts.

Mazel tov and kol hakavod — all honor to you, Arthur, and to all who have joined you over the years — you leave us in good hands, we know, and we are forever grateful for your bravery, generosity, dedication, and WIDER vision.

Gerry — he’s all yours again! Arm in arm – off you go for some much deserved time together. Enjoy!

The World Jewish Congress teamed up with A Wider Bridge for a special discussion on the experiences of pro-Israel LGBT activists and tools for bringing Zionism back into the LGBT discourse. Read the WJC’s recap of this important event below.

From left: Assaf Weiss, Nadiya al-Noor, Tye Gregory, and Mark Joseph Stern. (c) Shahar Azran

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement has in recent years infiltrated the LGBTQ community in the United States to promote its anti-Israel agenda, leading to an atmosphere of exclusion, ostracizing, and censure for pro-Israel members of the community, including expulsion from pride events and discourse. After years of seeking a safe space that encompasses both of their identities, the pro-Israel LGBTQ community has found that it has an ally in the Jewish world.

The unprecedented LGBTQ n’ Z: A Conversation About Pride, Zionism, and Inclusivity, was conceived of following a contentious summer of Pride events across the United States, where marchers from A Wider Bridge, carrying rainbow flags emblazoned with the Star of David, were shunned, physically and verbally accosted, and excluded.

Matt Nosanchuk, Former Associate Director of Public Engagement and the White House’s liaison to the American Jewish community, opened the event as keynote speaker, led the discussion with a keynote address, in which he described his overlapping identity as a Jew, Zionist, and member of the LGBTQ community adding that it was in great part his experience and familiarity with these worlds that led to his appointment in the White House.

Regarding the phenomenon over the summer in Chicago, Nosanchuck said: “It has become completely about identity in some notorious cases…. Just because someone is Jewish or is Israeli, we are told we don’t have a place among our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ community…. We can’t use the ‘Z’ word. We have to renounce support for our connection to Israel. And we have to swear allegiance to the Palestinian cause. The message is that we can’t be both. To the extent we identity with the Jewish community or Israel, we are unwelcome in the LGBTQ community.”

A discussion followed with experienced LGBTQ-Zionist activists moderated by Slate journalist Mark Joseph Stern, featuring former Senior Advisor to Israel’s Minister of Health and Member of the World Jewish Congress-Jewish Diplomatic Corps Assaf Weiss, Muslim pro-Israel campus activist Nadiya al-Noor, and A Wider Bridge Deputy Director Tye Gregory.

During the panel, Weiss said: “The LGBTQ community isn’t anti-Israel or anti-Semitic. That’s exactly what BDS wants us to think. We are Zionists and Jews, and we are just as much a part of the LGBTQ community.” Weiss added that he had attended a BDS event presented as supporting LGBTQ Palestinians, and that the organizers there refused to condemn Hamas’ execution of a gay Palestinian man, turning the blame for all suffering on Israel. “When a person’s hatred of Israel is so blinding that they can’t even condemn the execution of a person just because he is gay, it is a clear exploitation of legitimate LGBTQ Palestinian’s suffering for the promotion of an anti-Israel and anti-Semitic agenda,” he said, “this something that all of us within the LGBTQ community must object to.”

Al-Noor said: “Pro-Israel members of the LGBT movement at my university had to choose between being Jewish and being queer. They came to this school because they knew they had a queer community there, and the decision was heart-breaking for them. They chose being Jewish. This is a rampant disease on many campuses.”

Read full statement on the World Jewish Congress website

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For five years, I have been proud to work as the editor of www.awiderbridge.org. In that time, we have published many opinion pieces representing a wide range of views, but never one written by me. Until now. As I step down from my role, I want to offer my views on some of the issues of controversy that have surrounded our work. As with all the opinion pieces on this site, the views below are those of the author (i.e. me) and not those of the organization.

Shortly after Benjamin Netanyahu was first elected as Prime Minister of Israel in the mid-1990s, Gladys, a hilarious Israeli drag queen went on TV and said in her ridiculous accent, “look, I don’t care who was elected Prime Minister–he just has to remember that half the country didn’t want him.”

Ever since Trump was elected as the U.S. President, I can’t stop thinking about this sentence. What was so true for Israelis back then couldn’t be more relevant for the Americans today. Nor is that feeling that everyone who didn’t vote for Netanyahu felt, which is exactly what those who didn’t vote for Trump, feel ever since November.

This month I’m stepping down after 5 years of working with A Wider Bridge, an organization that somehow became controversial among LGBTQ people in the U.S: on one hand, the number of our supporters is growing. We see it on social media, on the hundreds and hundreds of clicks on the website every day, and at our events. On the other hand, a significant group of people loathe the organization, and for that matter – the people of Israel in general, claiming, basically that every time we mention progress for the Israeli LGBTQ community, it’s because we have some sort of a secret agenda to “cover up” horrible things the current Israeli government is doing to the Palestinians. “Pinkwashing,” they call it. G-d, how much I hate this word. This word deeply hurts me as a gay man who up until 2009 lived in Israel.

In one sentence: As far as I’m concerned, A Wider Bridge was formed to give the LGBTQ community in Israel a hand in its struggle against the orthodox, homophobic state of the government. But very early on, Arthur Slepian and his colleagues found themselves defending their passion to help their friends in the LGBTQ community in Israel, because of the country’s political issues. The comments that I’ve seen throughout the years suggest that the LGBTQ community in Israel has no right to make any progress as long as the government is continuing to make the lives of the Palestinians miserable. Pro-Palestinian (and Israel haters) forcefully drag out the political issue every time we try to raise a social issue for a discussion, and some of these claims are ridiculous – especially if the people who comment stopped for a minute to ask who are they REALLY protesting? If they want to protest against people who are against the Palestinians having their own country, they should take their protests somewhere else. Why is it so hard for people to understand that so many of us support the progress of the LGBTQ community in Israel AND also support Palestinian independence?

As an Israeli, I have never voted for Netanyahu or any of his right-wing friends. I did everything I could (and succeeded) to avoid spending my mandatory army service in the West Bank area, and I think that the Palestinians deserve their own country and freedom and peace.

I belong to the generation right before the whole “gay revolution” in Israel actually started, somewhere in the mid 90s. It was before Tel Aviv was so accepting of gays. I was in the historic spontaneous rally that followed the forced closure of Tel Aviv Wigstock in 1996. We were shut down by the Israeli police, and we didn’t let them break us. “Nobody goes home,” singer Michal Amdursky, along with Gila Goldstein (Z”L) shouted to the audience from stage after the police closed the microphone. I went down Independence Park and set with many of the community on Hayarkon Street, blocking the road. People were arrested. It was not nice, but we didn’t give up the fight for our visibility in Tel Aviv.

I belong to a generation of LGBTQ people who weren’t seen on TV, who were considered freaks and were bullied. I used to go to the other side of the street in my home town of Beer Sheva every time a group of guys came towards me, in order to not get beaten up. But I didn’t miss celebrating in Rabin Square after Dana International won the Eurovision. She won it for us, for the LGBTQ community she came from. I was also a part of every demonstration against the inequality of LGBTQ people until I moved to the U.S. in 2009. We fought for every right granted to us. Nothing was granted by the government. Everything was a struggle.

BUT – I’m pretty sure that all those Wider Bridge haters are not reading these sentences. They stopped somewhere around the bold sentence above. Unfortunately, and just like Taylor Swift says, the haters “just want to hate, hate, hate.” Not to really try to sit down and discuss and maybe try to understand the other side.

For what it’s worth, I’m not saying that Pinkwashing doesn’t exist. It does. But it’s not the LGBTQ community, nor AWB who are doing it.

Look at what’s happening now in America: Trump became president, he’s trying to do awful things to certain minorities in the U.S. – including to the LGBTQ people – and none of us wanted him there. We’re against everything he does. We criticize him, demonstrate against his actions. Imagine that the world now would say “the LGBTQ advancement in the U.S. is all a coverup of the Trump administration for the horrible things that the minorities now suffer.” Imagine that no one would want to hear anything you say about your LGBTQ struggle, and that every time there is a little victory in court, people will comment, ‘yes, but what about what Trump is doing?’ Every attempt to make LGBTQ life better will be “Trumpwashed.” How frustrating and unfair that is. Especially when we, the LGBTQ people, are on the same side. We have the same struggle- all over the world.

So A Wider Bridge is being “Trumpwashed” even though it had never sided with the actions of the Israeli government. And the real Pinkwashers, to me, are only Netanyahu and his politician friends, who time after time vote against every law that makes the lives of LGBTQ people better in Israel. Who never come to any Pride event, let alone say the word “homosexual” in Hebrew, in the media, who make our lives in Israel miserable. But when he travels the world – he would never miss an opportunity to say how much the LGBTQ community thrives under his government.

“Pinkwashing” is when the government doesn’t approve 1 million shekels for the Israeli Gay Youth organization, but want to spend $12 million on coloring a plane with a rainbow flag to lure people to come to gay pride in Tel Aviv. And on the contrary, “Trumpwashing” is when a group of people doesn’t want to hear the Jerusalem Open House struggle to help LGBTQ people in Israel, and who shut down an A Wider Bridge event because of its connection to the Israeli people, no matter who they are.

Can you feel the difference? I’m not saying not to support the Palestinians, but you have to pick your enemies, because it’s never as simple as “all Israelis are horrible.” Demonizing all Israelis is simply unfair, and it certainly does not lead to peace and understanding.

My dream is for the LGBTQ community all over the world will come together and work for peace from a place of love, not of hate. We all want the same thing, we only assume that the other one doesn’t.

And one extra last word to the BDS people: Mother Teresa once said “I don’t participate in anti-war demonstrations. But as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I’ll be there.” NEVER in the history of humanity did it happen that violence towards an entire nation brings true peace. Real peace will be achieved in peace. What works with people one-on-one also works with countries: If you walk down the street and smile at a person, most likely he will smile back. But if you curse him, you’ll receive a negative reaction.

It’s all a matter of who smiles at whom first.

A Wider Bridge  is excited to announce that we are currently recruiting for Director of Programs and Development

A Wider Bridge is seeking a passionate, organized, and motivated leader and change maker to serve as our new Director of Programs and Development. The ideal candidate is committed to A Wider Bridge’s mission of building LGBTQ and allied support for Israel and LGBTQ Israelis, with experience in the LGBTQ, Jewish, and pro-Israel fields. We are seeking candidates for this position who have a minimum of six years of experience and an accomplished track record in fundraising, leadership development, and programming in addition to prior management experience.

We are currently accepting candidates willing to work from San Francisco, Los Angeles or New York.

Responsibilities

1. Management
a. The Director of Programs and Development will manage the regional and development staff of A Wider Bridge as they execute fundraising, leadership development, programs, and community relations responsibilities.
b. Ensure staff are properly trained, supported, and nurtured
c. Create a positive work environment to promote excellence, cooperation, and teamwork
d. Oversee and help staff achieve benchmarks and metrics; conduct formal and informal staff reviews and evaluations

2. Fundraising
a. Develop and oversee the organization’s annual fundraising campaign in partnership with the Executive Director
b. Steward and solicit major individual gifts and private foundational support, with long-term growth plans for high level supporters
c. Prepare and submit grant applications, reports, and LOIs
d. Plan and execute parlor meetings, fundraising events, and other development meetings

3. Leadership Development
a. Oversee A Wider Bridge regional Metro Councils (currently in New York and Chicago)
b. Oversee recruitment and relationship management with A Wider Bridge LGBTQ Mission participants and alumni

4. Programs and Events
a. Oversee annual programming calendar for local and national events
b. Curate and execute:
i. US community programming featuring LGBTQ Israeli leaders and organizational delegations
ii. US community programming connecting local LGBTQ and Jewish/pro-Israel communities around Israel and LGBTQ Israelis
iii. Fundraising events and parlor meetings

5. Community Relations
a. Develop and cultivate new and existing partnerships in the LGBTQ, pro-Israel, and Jewish communities
b. Represent AWB in the community through speaking engagements, trainings, and panel discussions
c. Represent AWB at partners’ community events

6. Operations
a. Oversee regional and development staff day-to-day budgetary decisions
b. Oversee proper staff usage of A Wider Bridge software, including donor database, program calendar, email software, Expensify (expense reports) and others as needed

Skill Requirements

A Successful Candidate will:
● Approach work in a self-motivated way without need for close supervision, and with effective time management.
● Be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously and keep them moving forward in a timely manner.
● Be well organized, with strong attention to detail, record-keeping, administrative tasks and follow-up on all aspects of a project.
● Be comfortable working in a small organization, be a good “team player” and demonstrate a willingness to “do whatever it takes to get the job done”.
● Have experience working with the communities and issues that are core to the work of A Wider Bridge: Jewish, LGBTQ and Israeli. Knowledge of Israel a plus.
● Be an effective networker and relationship builder, and demonstrate an ability to maintain organizational message, communicate with diplomacy and nuance and work successfully with people and organizations of varying viewpoints.
● Strong communication and storytelling skills, both oral and written, one on one and in public settings.
● Have the ability to develop and monitor a program budget.
● Available to travel and work occasional evenings and weekends.
● Demonstrate strong technical and computer skills, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Mailchimp, Dropbox, and Salesforce, with ability to learn new programs.
● Have at least a B.A. or B.S. from an accredited four-year college program.

Ready to apply?
Please submit your Resume or CV and a cover letter to Tyler@Awiderbridge.org.

The AWB/Olivia Women’s Queer Mission is in full swing! Our first full day began with a visit to Masada and concluded with Shabbat dinner in Jerusalem. Day two featured a tour in the old city of Jerusalem, including visiting the Western Wall, and then a trip to Tel Aviv for the Lethal Lesbian film festival.

The group at the top of Masada

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8
The trip opened on Thursday, November 8th, with dinner in Jerusalem.  The Aguda Chair Chen Arieli presented an overview of the LGBTQ movement in Israel. She explained how she makes sure that the LGBTQ community works together in solidarity, like when they threatened to not organize Tel Aviv Pride, upon learning of the Knesset’s plan to allocate millions of shekels to a rainbow plane, instead of towards LGBTQ resources.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9
The first full day featured a trip to Masada. Our tour guide Anat emphasized that the Zealots chose to live in exile on the top of Masada. She then turned to the group and asked, “What piece of yourself would you be willing to fight for?  What piece do you absolutely need for you to be you?”

Riding the cable car to the top of Masada

What piece of yourself would you fight for?

Linda and Christina at the top of Masada

From there, we traveled to the Dead Sea. On the way, our tour guide Anat spoke about the change in the environment, and how overuse of the water has caused a dramatic drop in the sea level. This is quite visible by the dead sea, as the waterline has retreated. There are also more sink holes as freshwater mixes with salt water underground.

Floating in the Dead Sea

We then returned to Jerusalem for dinner and experienced the magic of Shabbat in this city of Gold.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Our second day featured an exploration of Jerusalem’s old city. The group toured the city rooftops, the Kotel (the Western Wall), and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The old city is truly one of the world’s centers of civilization.

Margo and Susan in the Old City

Group shot in front of the Kotel (Western Wall)

From there, we traveled to Tel Aviv.  We joined more than 1,000 queer Israeli women to watch the best in independent queer films at the Lethal Lesbian Film Festival.

Co-founder Anit Nir gave a riveting speech about the power of the festival, now in its 10th year.

Anat spoke about how during the early years of the festival there was no municipal support or sponsorships. Undaunted, the organizers created the festival on their own and demonstrated the great demand for this festival, one that focuses on Israeli directors.

Years of dedicated work led to a fundamental change in the situation. Today they are supported by the establishment.

“I am happy to see the change taking place in the attitude and policy of the film funds, the municipalities and the commercial bodies, who are increasingly seeing what is happening here and are joining us to push forward this festival,” Anat remarked.

“We have moved from a mentality of survival to action that directs and leads to real change in policy and consciousness.”

“I stand here and understand that we are not only an audience and filmmakers, but this is the place and existence of a community that has the power to bring about real change. You have given me so much strength and hope for almost two decades now. Against despair there is hope, against pessimism there is optimism,” Anat said in her inspiring opening remarks.

The day ended with a walk around Tel Aviv as the sun set over the ocean and night settled in.

On the 3rd and 4th day of our trip, we continued to tour Jerusalem: visiting the national holocaust museum (Yad v’Shem), meeting some of Jerusalem’s LGBTQ leaders at the Alliance Guesthouse, viewing the Israel museum and spending time in the colorful Machne Yehuda market.

Outside the Book of the Shrine

View from the Mount of Olives

We met with Jerusalem’s LGBTQ community for drinks and refreshments at the Alliance Guesthouse, a new collective for young artists redefining Jerusalem through visual and fine arts.

Panel at the Alliance Guesthouse

Casey Girard spoke about her work with the Ruach Hadasha Artist movement in Jerusalem. Tyler Gregory, Deputy Director of A Wider Bridge, opened the panel.  On the panel, we heard from Daniel Jonas (Havruta),  Irene Rabinowitz (JOH), and Sarah Weil (Yerushalmit).

We visited the Machne Yehuda market and took in all the sights and sounds of this bustling place. The market (shuk) was the shopping destination for Mizrachi Jews from Kurdistan, Yemen, Morocco, etc. who lived in the surrounding Nachlaot neighborhood. The population of Nachlaot has changed, but the market is still here as a cultural center, including an unforgettable Thursday nightlife scene.

Can’t forget all the amazing spices on display in the Shuk!

Enjoying Jerusalem’s culinary delights!  

We ended this leg of the trip with a very moving visit to Yad v’Shem, Israel’s national holocaust memorial. Our guide Alice Marcu spoke about the LGBT experience during this period of history.

“Guiding groups through Yad Vashem is a challenging task, but to be able to meet incredible women like the ones I’ve guided today, to get to share these stories, the stories of our community with them, to be fortunate enough to experience their kind and heartwarming reactions, these are the moments that keep me going,” Alice remarked when asked about her experience with the group.

It was especially sobering to visit Yad v’Shem today, in the light of rising anti-semitism across the world and the news of far-right nationalists marching on Poland’s Independence Day.

Trip participant Guila Cukier-Rice summed it up quite eloquently in a Facebook post:

It’s a bit odd to be here walking the streets of Jerusalem on what is the 79th anniversary of Kristallnacht. I know that I’m seeing everything through rose coloured glasses but I’m still in awe of the faces and sounds of the streets & people.

What is it about us, one of the smallest nations in this world, that for centuries others have tried to totally eliminate?

Yet despite all of this we survive. And you know what? We always will. – Guila Cukier-Rice, trip participant

Heading north! We spent the past two days in the north of Israel, visiting the beautiful Galilee region, seeing the Sea of Galilee (the Kinneret), riding along the Northern border and peering into Syria. We then visited the vibrant city of Haifa, the third-largest city in Israel.

We visited the Golan, overlooking Syria, and learned about the history of the region and about the conflict as it stands today. In this photo, we’re on a ridge and Syria is to our back.

We took a jeep tour of Israel’s northernmost regions.

Hiking by the Jordan river!

Enjoying lunch and a wine tasting!

We visited the Communities’ House – Haifa’s LGBTQ center, which opened just this year.

We stopped by the the storied Baha’i Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Collages made by women on the trip:

A huge shout out to the women who shared their photos with us, thank you!

Day eight of A Wider Bridge/Olivia’s Queer Mission to Israel began with a tour at Tel Aviv’s LGBTQ Center, in the heart of the city in Gan Meir (Meir Park). The tour included a discussion with leaders of LGBTQ Israeli organizations.

At the Gay Center entrance

We then visited the storied Arab town of Jaffa to taste the best falafel sandwich around! We explored the city’s origins and many layers of history and culture.

Evening was spent enjoying the Tel Aviv nightlife with director Limor Shmila and actress Noa Biron, of the new hit lesbian film Montana.

Our group with cast/crew of Montana!

The next day, we visited the Rabin Center to learn about the history of Israel through the lens of the Israeli leader’s consequential life and tragic death.

Olivia co-founder Rachel Wahba listening to a presentation at the Rabin Center

Outside the Rabin Center

We then strolled along the Nachalat Binyamin Market, a showcase for Israeli artisans. This is the perfect spot to buy a unique gift for those back home.

We took a group shot to honor our amazing bus driver Moty!

Thank you Moty!

And a huge thanks to Anat Groysman, the best tour guide ever!

Leading up to #GivingTuesday, A Wider Bridge shared our eight greatest achievements of the past year. Modeled after the eight days of Chanukah, we celebrate the miracles of our work and its widespread reach and impact.  Each day we unveiled a new achievement, leading up to Giving Tuesday on November 28, 2017.

Will you honor #GivingTuesday and our work, and make a recurring, tax-deductible donation to support A Wider Bridge?

Day One: Chicago Dyke March mobilization

In June, AWB’s Midwest Manager, Laurie Grauer along with two other women, were expelled from the Chicago Dyke March for carrying Jewish Pride Flags. In response, A Wider Bridge sent out a petition demanding an apology from the Dyke March, which garnered over 14,000 signatures, and over 60 articles and opinion pieces were published around the world. Sadly, despite the global outcry and multiple offers made by AWB staff and local envoys to come together, the Chicago Dyke March Collective remains steadfast in their decision, and continues to use language akin to anti-Semitic groups to defend their stance.

Even in the face of such hate, AWB worked with Jewish and LGBTQ leaders to find ways to promote international advocacy, cultural understanding, and community healing. These initiatives included launching an online campaign to support The Aguda’s LGBTQ Refugee program, and a Chicago-based listening tour that culminated at a community meeting at Temple Sholom Chicago.

Day 2: TLVFest BDS fight- raised $20,000
In direct response to weeks of attacks by pro-Boycott Divest Sanctions (BDS) activists on Israel’s LGBTQ community, A Wider Bridge launched a crowdfunding campaign which exceeded its goal in raising over $20,000 to support TLVFest, Tel Aviv’s International LGBTQ Film Festival.

Day 3:  Adoption letter mobilization
In response to the growing controversy in Israel regarding adoption by same-sex couples, A Wider Bridge organized a public letter signed by nearly 200 Jewish Community Leaders from across America in support of same-sex adoption in Israel.  AWB called upon the Israeli ministries to treat the country’s same-sex families and would-be parents with the equality they deserve. The state committed to introduce legislation that would equalize the adoption rights of same-sex couples by June 2018.

Day 4: AWB Impact brought the LGBTQ Israeli Orthodox Delegation to the US to share their work, and raised  $5,000 for the “Our Faces” campaign.

Zehorit Sorek and Daniel Jonas, leaders of Bat Kol and Havruta, Israeli Religious LGBTQ Organizations, toured the US to share their organizations’ work changing attitudes in religious communities across Israel, fighting homophobia and hurtful tools like conversion therapy, and cultivating the flourishing LGBT religious communities and events that exist today in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and across the State of Israel. The tour raised funds for the “Our Faces” campaign which put a public face on LGBTQ Orthodox Israelis.

Day 5: A Wider Bridge Impact brought The Meeting Place Delegation to the US and raised $7500 to support this important organization.

AWB Impact brought the The Meeting Place Delegation to five US cities to share their work, and raised $7,500 to support this important organization.. The Meeting Place fosters Jerusalem to be a “community of communities”, a pluralistic society with all sectors of society – LGBTQ and straight, religious and secular, Jewish, Muslim and Christian – building bridges of communication.

Day 6:  Our LGBTQ Pride Mission to Israel 2017 brought 30 American LGBTQ leaders to Israel 

Prominent figures taking part in our trip this year included Evan Wolfson, founder and leader of The Freedom to Marry campaign, writer and comedian H. Alan Scott, whose trip to Israel is a part of a documentary , and Muslim LGBTQ activist and writer Nadiya Al-Noor, who has expressed support for Israel and for a fruitful relationships between Jews and Muslims many times in the past.

Day 7: AWB Pushed back on JVP after they harassed and disrupted LGBTQ youth at the Celebrate Israel Parade

Day 8: AWB Olivia Mission the first-ever lesbian Delegation to Israel

A Wider Bridge partnered with the Olivia lesbian travel company and brought queer women on a 10-day mission to Israel to experience the country through an LGBTQ lens. Check out the trip’s photoblog, because every picture is a thousand words.

“There is no reason why LGBTQ people and their allies cannot be proudly Jewish and proudly Zionist. ” Journalist Mark Stern who writes for Slate, will be moderating the panel this Thursday for the LGBTQNZ Pride, Zionism, and Inclusivity in New York. Below, he talks about his reactions to the Dyke March fiasco and creeping anti-Semitism.

Jews who attended the Chicago Dyke March last June found themselves subjected to an unusual litmus test. Openly Jewish marchers were required to relinquish their “Zionist displays”—a category that included a Star of David on a rainbow flag—and repudiate all connections with the state of Israel. Jews who failed to pass this test were condemned and expelled. Dyke March organizers attempted to justify their actions by explaining in a statement that their “celebration of dyke, queer, and trans solidarity” could not tolerate “pinkwash[ing].”

Like many LGBTQ Jews, I was both disturbed and puzzled by the Dyke March fiasco. How could any movement claim “solidarity” with the queer community, my community, while rejecting Jews like me? How could an ostensibly inclusive event eject participants on the basis of suspected Zionism? And how could the Dyke March deploy the term “pinkwishing,” a noxiously anti-Semitic trope that dismisses Israel’s commitment to LGBTQ rights as a cynical publicity stunt? This Thursday, I’ll be moderating a panel hosted by the World Jewish Congress and A Wider Bridge to explore these issues—and ask how we can challenge the growing hostility toward Jews within certain pockets of the LGBTQ community.

The Dyke March was not the first time that Jews have been singled out and excluded from an ostensibly progressive LGBTQ space. Anti-Semitism also tarnished 2016’s Creating Change conference, an annual gathering sponsored by the National LGBTQ Task Force. Creating Change brings together LGBTQ groups across the country, and the January 2016 conference was scheduled to include a presentation by A Wider Bridge and the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance, an LGBTQ community center. But the Task Force canceled this reception shortly before the conference began, bowing to pressure from groups like the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity, which demanded that the conference’s organizers “reject Zionism” and “the forces of oppression and occupation.”

Following widespread outcry, the Task Force reinstated the event. But shortly after it began, a group of about 200 protesters marched through the conference and crashed the reception holding signs that read “Cancel Pinkwashing” and “Zionism Sucks.” Some participants allegedly used anti-Jewish slurs. The speakers from Jerusalem Open House were quickly escorted out, and the presentation was canceled.

Let’s be clear: This is anti-Semitism. Protesters selected the most overtly Jewish presentation at the conference and shut it down because of its Jewish character. Their actions provided a clear illustration of how “anti-Zionism” has become a euphemism for anti-Semitism. At the heart of this protest lay chilling malice toward Jewish people and the Jewish state. Protesters combined outwardly anti-Semitic epithets with anti-Israel chants to create an environment in which Jews could not possibly feel safe. And this at a conference that purports to support “full freedom and liberation for LGBTQ people and allies.” Do LGBTQ Jews simply not count?

Unfortunately, the Creating Change catastrophe was representative of a broader trend on the American left: The vilification of Israel—including progressive Israeli organizations and citizens—in the name of LGBTQ equality. It is a puzzling phenomenon. Israeli’s record on LGBTQ rights is not perfect, but it exceeds that of many Western nations, and all other Middle Eastern countries. The country’s dedication to LGBTQ equality should be recognized as a human rights victory. And yet, perversely, some activists cite Israel’s expansion of LGBTQ rights as a mark against the Jewish state. Why? Because, the theory goes, Israel is merely “pinkwashing,” passing and touting pro-LGBTQ laws to distract liberals from other policies to which they object.

To my mind, the version concept of pinkwashing draws on classic anti-Semitic tropes—conspiratorial Jews using insincere diversions to distract from their misdeeds. But leaving that aside, the practical effect of the pinkwashing fixation is to drive LGBTQ Jews out of LGBTQ spaces. According to this new dogma, support for Israel is mutually exclusive with support for human rights, including the equal dignity of gay and transgender people. Thus, all LGBTQ Jews must repudiate Israel in order to be authentically pro-LGBTQ.

That is dangerous, divisive nonsense. There is no reason why LGBTQ people and their allies cannot be proudly Jewish and proudly Zionist. These identities are not contradictory; they are complementary. Full equality for our community would require that many more countries adopt LGBTQ policies like Israel’s. Jews must not be compelled to renounce our principles in order to remain welcome in LGBTQ spaces. It is, after all, these principles that inspire us to fight for a more just and inclusive world.

We encourage you to continue this dialogue and attend Thursday’s event! Click here to RSVP.

On December 6, 2017, A Wider Bridge and the New York LGBTQ, Jewish and pro-Israel communities gathered together for our first community benefit in New York City.

Check out the photos from the event now on our Facebook page.

A Wider Benefit honored two champions of our communities – A Wider Bridge’s Founder and retiring Executive Director, Arthur Slepian, and Freedom to Marry’s Founder and Executive Director, Evan Wolfson.  Both Arthur and Evan gave inspiring speeches that will help us all move forward in this important work.  The world renown a capella band Nashir provided the entertainment.

We thank our sponsors, host committee, and old and new friends who came together to support A Wider Bridge as we advance equality in Israel, and equality for Israel.

If you are still planning to make a 2017 contribution to advance our pro-Israel LGBTQ movement, please click here.

AWB’s Northeast Manager Quentin Hill blogs about being a proud radical, queer Zionist in these troubling times.

We are living in troubling times. The political climate is toxic, tensions are rising, and divisions in this country are running deep. Things are even worse for marginalized communities all across the country; racism is stemming from the highest levels of our society, people are being turned away from our borders due to their race or religion, families are being ripped apart due to unjust immigration laws, and we are at risk of losing decades of progress on LGBTQ and women’s reproductive rights. Without a doubt, times are also troubling for the Jewish community right now. We see anti-Semitism surging on the right and anti-Zionism sowing divisions on the left, from Charlottesville to Chicago.

This past summer taught us a lot about the perplexities and challenges facing the Jewish, LGBTQ, and pro-Israel communities. The Chicago Dyke March incident was a startling awakening that Zionists are no longer welcomed in many parts of the LGBTQ community. This wasn’t an isolated incident. Chicago had similar struggles surrounding the inclusion of Jews and supporters of Israel in the LGBTQ community at Creating Change in January 2016. This past pride season, from Chicago to New York to Halifax, we’ve seen Jewish and pro-Israel groups come under attack when they tried to participate in pride celebrations. Anti-Israel folks have co-opted the LGBTQ community and forced supporters of Israel (and Jews) into an identity crisis. We are told we must choose between our identities either as Zionists or as queer folks, we most definitely could not be both.

I fully reject that notion. My queerness and my Zionism are linked together. My experiences of growing up gay in small town Iowa in 2009, remind me of the struggles my Jewish people have faced for thousands of years, like that of the Maccabees that we just commemorated with Hanukkah. We are forced to fight just to exist. My Jewish values helped restore my strength in the darkest days of the fights for social justice I often found myself in since coming out. I’ve learned that social justice is a part of my Jewish DNA and that we must work every single day to make the world a better place. I’ve learned that as Jews, we stand up for marginalized communities, we show up, we use our voices, and we continue to exist despite efforts to erase us. I cannot exist as a Zionist without my queerness and I cannot exist as a queer without my Zionism. To me, they are one of the same, the core of my being.

My fight for full LGBTQ equality is about liberation. Liberation from a society that tried to teach me to deny who I am: that I needed to assimilate, to be less gay, to blend in more, to not raise my voice when I see injustice, to accept a status quo that didn’t recognize my humanity. It is undeniable that the experiences of Jews for thousands of years have been very similar. That no matter what region of the world we moved to, we were never assimilated enough. We were too Jewish. We raised our voices too often. We too were a people that needed liberation. Our liberation came eventually, with the creation of a Jewish democratic state on May 14, 1948.

The creation of the State of Israel was the greatest success story of any social justice movement ever. After thousands of years of forced expulsions, genocides, rape, and pogroms, the Jewish people created a state of their own. We boldly declared that we now will assert our right of self determination and control our own destiny. We guaranteed that the Jewish people now have a home that we can live in safely and protect us from the horrors we knew all too well throughout our history.

It is disgusting to think that American Jews have come to a time in our lives where we should be ashamed of that. Now Zionism is controversial? We cannot accept that — we must boldly declare we believe wholeheartedly in the right of self determination for the Jewish people after thousands of years of discrimination and oppression. We must be the modern day Maccabees. It is even more disgusting to be told that as a queer community, we should have to choose between our queer community and our love of Israel. The hypocrisy is not the only troubling thing either. The LGBTQ community in this country has experienced great strides toward progress due to the contributions of LGBTQ Jews, including Harvey Milk, Larry Kramer, Roberta Kaplan, Evan Wolfson, Edie Windsor (her memory for a blessing), Sharon Kleinbaum, and many others, many who are passionate supporters of Israel. They too in their own rights were modern day Maccabees fighting for Jewish social justice.

Well, it’s 2017 and we are living in troubling times that require radical actions of resistance. I have הִתנַגְדוּת (resistance) tattooed on my forearm, where the serial numbers in the Holocaust were imprinted on Jews. It’s time I honor that tattoo. My radical act of resistance in 2017 is to boldly declare that I refuse to choose between my queer community and my love for Israel. I will continue to proudly identify as QUEER and as ZIONIST. I will continue to draw on my experience as a Jew to advance the march toward full LGBTQ equality in this country. I will continue to use my history and knowledge of the social justice movement of Zionism, to reinvigorate the struggle for queer liberation. I will continue to show up in other marginalized communities and social justice spaces to fight for racial and economic justice, comprehensive immigration reform, women’s reproductive rights, and welcome refugees and people of all faiths, as a queer Zionist. Why? It’s because of those two identities that I understand why I must. It is my responsibility as a queer person and as a Zionist to continue to work every single day to make the world a better place. We are called to be the light unto other nations — and I truly believe that both my communities, the LGBTQ community, and progressive pro-Israel community, can be that light.

It’s 2017, and I, Quentin Hill, am a radical, queer, Zionist.

We’ve been reviewing our most notable accomplishments of the past year, and wanted to share them with you. This is a great opportunity to thank all of our supporters, thousands and thousands of you, who visited our website, signed our petitions, ‘liked’ us on social media, and helped us create equality in and for Israel. We promise to continue fighting for equality in 2018. Happy New Year everyone!!!

Will you honor our work, and make a recurring, tax-deductible donation to support A Wider Bridge?

7. A Wider Bridge Co-Sponsors and Funds Historic Conference on LGBTQ Aging

A Wider Bridge Impact co-sponsors and funds the first LGBTQ conference in Israel addressing concerns of the LGBTQ senior population. The conference, held at the Gay Center in Tel Aviv, was organized by Beshela.  Topics addressed included housing, social support, medical care, legal rights, and history.

6. A Wider Bridge Brings over 50 American LGBTQ leaders to Israel on Two Separate Trips

In November, A Wider Bridge partnered with the Olivia lesbian travel company to bring queer women on a historic 10-day mission to Israel to experience the country through an LGBTQ lens.  Additionally, a June trip brought prominent figures including Evan Wolfson, founder and leader of The Freedom to Marry campaign, writer and comedian H. Alan Scott, whose trip to Israel is a part of a documentary , and Muslim LGBTQ activist and writer Nadiya Al-Noor, who has expressed support for Israel and for a fruitful relationships between Jews and Muslims many times in the past.

5. AWB Impact Raises $7,500 for Pluralism in Jerusalem & Brings “The Meeting Place” to the USA

AWB Impact brought the The Meeting Place Delegation to five US cities to share their work, and raised $7,500 to support this important organization.. The Meeting Place fosters Jerusalem to be a “community of communities”, a pluralistic society with all sectors of society – LGBTQ and straight, religious and secular, Jewish, Muslim and Christian – building bridges of communication.

4. AWB Impact Raises $5,000 for the “Our Faces” Campaign & Brings Israeli Religious Leaders to the USA

Zehorit Sorek and Daniel Jonas, leaders of Bat Kol and Havruta, Israeli Religious LGBTQ Organizations, toured the US to share their organizations’ work changing attitudes in religious communities across Israel, fighting homophobia and hurtful tools like conversion therapy, and cultivating the flourishing LGBT religious communities and events that exist today in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and across the State of Israel. The tour raised funds for the “Our Faces” campaign which put a public face on LGBTQ Orthodox Israelis.

3. A Wider Bridge Creates Letter Campaign for Same-Sex Adoption in Israel

In response to the growing controversy in Israel regarding adoption by same-sex couples, A Wider Bridge organized a public letter signed by nearly 200 Jewish Community Leaders from across America in support of same-sex adoption in Israel.  AWB called upon the Israeli ministries to treat the country’s same-sex families and would-be parents with the equality they deserve. The state committed to introduce legislation that would equalize the adoption rights of same-sex couples by June 2018.

2. A Wider Bridge Raises $20,000 for TLVFest to fight BDS

In direct response to weeks of attacks by pro-Boycott Divest Sanctions (BDS) activists on Israel’s LGBTQ community, A Wider Bridge launched a crowdfunding campaign which exceeded its goal in raising over $20,000 to support TLVFest, Tel Aviv’s International LGBTQ Film Festival.

1. A Wider Bridge’s Mobilizes Around the Dyke March Controversy. Laurie Grauer pens Op-Ed that goes viral: “Why was I kicked out of the Dyke March?”

In June, AWB’s Midwest Manager, Laurie Grauer along with two other women, were expelled from the Chicago Dyke March for carrying Jewish Pride Flags. In response, A Wider Bridge sent out a petition demanding an apology from the Dyke March, which garnered over 14,000 signatures, and over 60 articles and opinion pieces were published around the world. Sadly, despite the global outcry and multiple offers made by AWB staff and local envoys to come together, the Chicago Dyke March Collective remains steadfast in their decision. Read the story>>

AWB’s Digital Media Manager Ronit Bezalel blogs about supporting the lesbian owned R&R DineR restaurant in Jerusalem, which is under daily attack from homophobic ultra-religious Orthodox neighbors.

When I heard about the threats and violence aimed at the lesbian owners of Jerusalem’s newly opened R&R DineR, I knew I had to support their business. I’ve been wanting to try out their food anyway (who doesn’t like upscale diner food!), but the daily harassment they faced made this even more urgent. I believe in voting with my dollars, and supporting small businesses – especially LGBTQ – as a form of political resistance.

I had the perfect opportunity to visit the restaurant this week, when a friend threw a birthday party there.  For her too, this was a way of showing support for this newly minted restaurant and welcoming space for LGBTQ folk.

Showing our support for the R&R DineR

There were eight of us gathered at a central table, located across from a large pride flag. We remarked on the modern decor and nice lighting. Yet, to our right was the ugly reminder of violence – a shattered storefront window from recent vandalism.

Shattered storefront window by homophobic vandals

Ultra-orthodox Jews have been vandalizing the restaurant ever since it opened, at first claiming it was because the owners are lesbians, and then claiming it was because the diner is not kosher, serves pork, and is open on Saturdays (Shabbat). Even before R&R DineR was opened, the owners faced threats of “we will burn this place down.”

I do want to be sensitive to the fact that the restaurant isn’t kosher and therefore is not accessible to those who keep kosher. But, this shouldn’t be a cover for homophobia, and an excuse to carry out violence. What happened to “love your neighbor like yourself?”  If you don’t like the restaurant, then don’t visit. But, don’t try to burn it down. And, please check your homophobia at the door.

I spoke with co-owner Reut Cohen, who opened the restaurant with her life partner Romina Gonzalez this past November. She told me that yes, the threats are happening daily, and that on this particular day, a water heater had been damaged. The police are not doing anything about this.

I told her that we were there to show our support, and try out the delicious food. She thanked us.

The food was fresh, delicious and well presented. We ordered a cornucopia of appetizers – fries, gnocchi, chicken wings, macaroni and cheese balls, onion rings and some greens to balance out the fat. The service was friendly and the food arrived quickly. The food was rich and comforting.

After our meal, Reut emerged from the kitchen with a round of shots for us all.

It felt good to support this lesbian-owned small business.

While there are people who are chanting, “burn this place down,” we have the means to fight back with our wallets and not let this happen. If you are in Jerusalem and do not keep kosher, I encourage you to visit the R&R DineR. Voting with our dollars (and shekels!) is an important act of political resistance.

R&R DineR is located at 33 Jaffa Street in downtown Jerusalem. You can help by liking their Facebook page and leaving messages of support: R&R DineR

The A Wider Bridge Generation Zahav tour begins this Tuesday, January 16th, with an event in West Hollywood! From there, our Israeli grantees will visit Palm Springs and the Bay Area. Next week is the East Coast. Join us!

Sara Sweiry, Chen Arieli, Robin Rosenbaum

We invite you to attend the Generation Zahav Tour, featuring AWB Impact Grantees who are advancing LGBTQ seniors’ issues across Israel. You’ll meet our Israeli delegation — Sara Sweiry and Robin Rosenbaum of Beshela, (the organization for LBTQ Israeli senior women), and Chen Arieli, Chair of the Aguda – Israel LGBTQ Task Force.  Learn about the movement to build LGBTQ seniors’ rights and community in Israel.

For a full schedule and to RSVP, please visit: http://awiderbridge.org/zahav/

The A Wider Bridge Generation Zahav tour continues this week on the East Coast! If you’re in Florida, New York or Philadelphia please join us!

The AWB Generation Zahav tour is in full swing! The Israeli delegation is comprised of Sara Sweiry and Robin Rosenbaum of Beshela, (the organization for LBTQ Israeli senior women), and Chen Arieli, Chair of the Aguda – Israel LGBTQ Task Force. They are speaking about the movement to build LGBTQ seniors’ rights and community in Israel.

Last week, the delegation visited the West coast with stops in Los Angeles, Palm Springs and the Bay Area. These events led to insightful discussions on issues that LGBTQ seniors are facing in Israel.

Now this week, the group will visit Florida for three events, and then head to New York City and Pennsylvania for the weekend. We hope you can join us!

For tour dates and to RSVP, please visit here.

A Wider Bridge sends our deep condolences on the huge loss of Dr. Mathilde Krim, a true pioneer and hero in both the creation of the State of Israel and the battle against AIDS. Throughout her life, she felt that injustice was a calling to correct what was wrong in the world.  

In the 1940’s, this calling was to help the Jewish people.  After the Holocaust, while living in Switzerland, she assisted members of the  Irgun  in their efforts to purchase arms from former  French resistance members, prior to Israel’s independence.  After the founding of Israel, Krim converted to Judaism and made aliyah.  In the 1950’s, she pursued research in cytogenetics and cancer-causing viruses at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, where she was a member of the team that first developed a method for the prenatal determination of sex.

Dr. Krim moved to  New York following her second marriage to Arthur B. Krim  — a New York attorney, head of United Artists, later founder of Orion Pictures, active member of the Democratic Party, and advisor to U.S.Presidents.  During the course of their marriage, Arthur and Mathilde Krim were very active in the American Civil Rights movement , the gay rights movement , and in numerous other civil liberties and human rights movements. After moving to the U.S., she and her husband were also very active in fundraising and advocating for Israel and Israeli institutions.

In 1962, Mathilde Krim became a research scientist at the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research and, and was the director of its interferon lab. Soon after the first cases of what would later be called AIDS were reported in 1981, Dr. Krim recognized that this new disease raised grave scientific and medical questions and that it might have important socio-political consequences. She dedicated herself to increasing the public’s awareness of AIDS and to a better understanding of its cause, its modes of transmission, and its epidemiologic pattern. With Elizabeth Taylor, she co-founded amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS research, the international organization dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic. She easily bridged the worlds of science and public health; fundraising, Hollywood and activism; and pushing for changes to public policy in the halls of Washington, D.C.  For younger generations who live with HIV but manage it as more of a chronic condition, it’s possible to lose perspective on just how crucial Krim’s voice was in the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.

Millions around the world owe their lives to Mathilde Krim’s leadership, vision and efforts. She will be missed deeply.

The A Wider Bridge Generation Zahav tour wrapped up two weeks of amazing conversation and events on the topic of advancing LGBTQ seniors’ issues.  Seven pictures = 7,000 words! Photo blog:

The home of Ann Bauman and Kelly Thiemann

The Center, Palm Springs

Temple Isaiah-Palm Springs

Sha’har Zahav- San Francisco

Taking a break to attend the Women’s March

The Center, Palm Springs

Wilton Manors, Florida

We thank our Israeli delegation — Sara Sweiry and Robin Rosenbaum of Beshela, (the organization for LBTQ Israeli senior women), and Chen Arieli, Chair of the Aguda – Israel LGBTQ Task Force for participating in this A Wider Bridge Impact Tour.

A Wider Bridge presents a series of talks across the U. S. featuring Arnon Allouche and Adi Sadaka of the Haifa Communities’ House. Come learn how this organization successfully creates a multicultural, pluralistic, feminist space welcome to all.

EVENT DETAILS AND RSVP

NEW YORK CITY
The Center Sunday, March 18 208 W. 13th Street, NYC 6:00 p.m.	Private reception for A Wider Bridge NYC Leadership. Contact Quentin Hill, quentin@awiderbridge.org, for more information.
Home of Andy Mirer Tuesday, March 19 Address provided upon RSVP 6:30 p.m.
UJA-Federation of NY Tuesday, March 20 130 E. 59th Street, NYC 7:00 p.m.
WASHINGTON DC
DETAILS COMING SOON! Wednesday, March 21
Home of Kevin Ivers Thursday, March 22 Address provided upon RSVP 7:00 p.m.
BOSTON
Fenway Health Friday, March 23 1340 Boylston Street 7 p.m.
Club Café Sunday, March 25 209 Columbus Ave. (The Napoleon Room) 11 a.m.
CHICAGO
Home of Rabbi Bruce Elder Sunday, March 25 Address provided upon RSVP 7:00 p.m.
DePaul University Monday, March 26 DePaul Student Center 2250 N. Sheffield Avenue  12:30 p.m.
Center on Halsted Monday, March 26 3656 N. Halsted Street 6:30 p.m.
SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco LGBT Center Tuesday, March 27 1800 Market Street (Room 201) 6:30 p.m.

Haifa, one of the lesser-known cities in Israel, is the birth place of the Israeli feminist movement. A Wider Bridge is proud to sponsor the first-ever US tour featuring the executive leadership of the Haifa Communities’ House. The Haifa Communities’ House is a brand-new center located in the heart of an integrated Muslim and Jewish neighborhood.

Join us as we hear from CEO Aron Allouche and Program Manager Adi Sadaka about the unique tapestry of Haifa’s LGBTQ community –working toward LGBTQ empowerment and coexistence.

A Wider Bridge is proud to grant support for the work of the Haifa Communities’ Center through our AWB Impact Grant making initiative.

Want to support our AWB Impact initiative? Become an A Wider Bridge Member today!